Resident Evil: Vengeance
by bgshepard
Summary: Ada Wong and Leon S. Kennedy investigate a seemingly abandoned warehouse in downtown Miami, FL when tragedy strikes. Now Leon is dead, and Ada is on a quest for vengeance to hunt down those responsible. This work of fan fiction takes place nine months after Resident Evil 6. It contains scenes of violence and gore as well as mild language.
1. Chapter 1-1: Loss

**Resident Evil: Vengeance**

**Chapter 1-1: Loss**

**Eastern Warehouse District – Miami, FL**

**May 25****th**** 2014**

**21:15 EST**

It was as if she was watching everything unfold before her in slow motion playback. In that brief second, time ceased to hold its sway especially after what she had just witnessed. The thunderous discharge from the high-powered sniper rifle was still ringing in her ears as she looked down from the roof. The skylight above the garage had shattered from where he had fallen through. His voice was the last thing she could acutely remember.

_ "Ada! Sniper above!"_

She'd barely had time to turn when the red dot laser site honed in on her chest. At the last second she had thrown herself backwards, and the bullet struck the guiderail instead of her. Leon had then begun firing in the direction of the sniper and before she could take action, the same roar exploded once again.

Her breath caught itself in her lungs as she watched him stagger at first after the round had effortlessly passed through his chest. Now he was lying on the cement slab of the garage below her position... and he wasn't moving.

"Leon…" she whispered before realizing that the sniper was still out there.

Throwing herself back against the locked doorway that lead down from the roof, the loud shot could be heard a third time as a piece of cinder block from the frame exploded in front of her. From her brief survey of the warehouse roof, there could only be one place where the shooter was firing from – an old water tower at the edge of the perimeter that held a clear line of sight into the loading area and yard below.

_I have you now, you son of a bitch!_ Ada thought to herself as she quickly reached around the corner and fired three rounds toward the top of the tower.

There was no return fire, no laser, no… anything. _Where the hell did he go?_

Taking her binoculars, she scanned from the tower to the nearby roves but saw no sign of the shooter. He had simply vanished. Turning back toward the loading bay, Ada looked for Leon. He was still lying on his back amidst the shattered glass, his arms slowly moving.

It was she who had roped him into helping her on this mission, and it was her fault he was laying there. Without further thought, she planted her right foot up on the guiderail and jumped. Reaching out with her grappling gun, she fired toward the building to give a safe place for her to swing and land near his position.

"Leon!" She yelled as she ran to him. He was still alive, but barely. There was so much blood; the metallic scent was heavy in the air. And he was so pale… what if he…? She shook her head to quell the doubts in her mind, as if not thinking about it would keep the worst from befalling them both. Kneeling down next to him, she assessed his wound – A clean through and through right into his upper chest. What if his lung was hit? Blood was already running from the corner of his mouth.

"Ada..." He gasped as he tried to raise himself up on his elbows.

"Easy does it, Mr. Kennedy," she replied as she afforded him a smile he was so accustomed to. "Can you get to your feet?" She asked as she took his hand and held his back to steady him.

He grunted in pain and then stopped. "No… I… I don't… think so…"

Pulling her hand away from his back, she noticed that the blood had turned a dark shade of crimson. Her eyes widened. "Oh my God…"

"Bad… I know. Went through… my lung." He was gasping in shallow breaths now as the ability to breath was becoming more arduous for him.

"Wait! Don't move!" She said as she quickly sat down behind him. Taking his head in her hands, she gently lowered him until his head rested upon her legs. "There. Lie still, Leon. I'm going to get you out of here."

"Don't have much time… Ada," he gasped. "Listen…"

A sudden bout of fury was beginning to well within her. "Shut up, Leon! Just… shut up!" She snapped as she reached for her communicator. "I'm not listening to that type of talk from you. You're a survivor, and I'm not going to let you die here!"

Pushing the button on her ear piece she sent the call. "It's Wong. I am putting in a call for an immediate medi-vac at the warehouse site. Gunshot wound through the chest, probable lung puncture. Send the chopper for extraction."

The garbled static on the other end came to life as the radio operator replied, "Transmission received, Agent Wong. Notice that we have no units in the immediate vicinity. ETA thirty minutes."

"He doesn't have thirty minutes!" She yelled into the mic. "If you can't do better, I'll get him out of here myself!"

"Negative! Repeat, negative on your last! You are to proceed as planned and retrieve the product at all cost. That is your mission! Do you understand, Wong?"

"Damn it!" She yelled as she peeled the device from her ear and flung it across the yard.

"Hey…" she heard him whisper. "Just… sit with me… okay? No running off… this time."

She looked down into his blue eyes. His gaze was silently telling her what she had already known – he wasn't going to make it out of this warehouse alive. Not with that wound.

"Leon…" she began before he interrupted her.

"You are so beautiful… you know that?"

That caught her off guard. "Leon, please… don't…"

"Fifteen years… Ada. Fifteen… long… years… and I've been afraid… all that time."

She took her right hand and rested it on his head while gently placing her left over his wound. His hand found hers. "What were you afraid of, Mr. Kennedy?"

"Of you… of… us. Afraid of how… I felt about you. I don't want to die… with any regrets… with no words left unspoken… between us. That night… six years ago… it was more beautiful than I could have… possibly imagined."

She felt her eyes begin to sting. Soon his face began to blur as tears began to well within her eyes.

"Those secret… rendezvous we had. I looked forward to them… more than you can ever know."

Then he said the words that would haunt her forever. "I love you… Ada Wong."

She closed her eyes and soon felt the wet trail of a tear as it ran down her cheek. How much flirting had the two of them done with each other over the years since RaccoonCity? The looks, the glances… the touches. Was what they did that first night together merely stress release as she initially tried to make herself believe or had it been something more? Something she had tried hard to bury?

She cared about him more than she'd ever had for any man in her life. But the first rule in her line of work was clear – do not form emotional attachments to others. Emotions were liabilities, and she could ill afford them. For years she had let that be the guiding principle she had lived by even when it came to Leon.

So she made quips, flirted, and stayed just out of arms reach each time the two of them fought side by side. But then she had finally relented hadn't she? That night in Paris when she had snuck off to be with him? It had been in the dead of night when she had arrived with a bottle of champagne, and a kiss she had initiated. Why had she done that? And why had she continued to see him off and on over the course of the past six years? What was it about him that had finally made her break her own rules? The answer almost seemed to be screaming at her, but her stubborn will had refused to heed it.

A new tear had rolled itself down the other side of her face. "Leon… I…"

She opened her eyes and looked down at him. His eyes were staring back, but… they were lifeless; looking past her into the great void. His body was still; the rasp of his breathing had ceased as he lay there in her arms. Shock and sadness were the strangers that found their way to greet her.

"Leon?" She asked quietly as her hand went to his face. "Leon!" She shook him gently in an attempt to stir him but deep down knowing that her efforts were in vain.

She closed her eyes tight, her teeth grit with anger as she bent over his lifeless body. "No…. not like this…" she whispered as old, forgotten emotions began to take hold of her.

Her mind flashed back to that first night. She could clearly remember the way that he had looked at her when she had slowly walked up to him in a tight red dress. His eyes had been filled with a genuine hunger for her that she had never seen before. She could recall how his muscular body had writhed under her as she took him at her pleasure. It was that night where doubts and questions had been laid aside. He had given himself willingly to her, and she had taken great pleasure in that fact.

Looking down at him now, she knew right then what it was that she had truly lost, and she could hold back no longer.

**_ "LEEEEEEOOOOOON!"_** She screamed.

Anger – it was burning within her veins, but there was also a huge weight of sadness upon her shoulders as well. She was enraged with hatred. Emotions had been parts of her that had taken many years to learn how to suppress. But now, it seemed all of that had changed. With Leon's death, she felt overwhelmed – defeated. Fear, rage, hate, anger, sadness – each one of them was taking a piece of her heart to consume, and she bore no defense against their assault. All of her training was lost to her as she had no known way of coping with this kind of loss – a loss to her heart.

Bringing her face to his, she gently kissed his lips. "I'm sorry, Leon," she whispered and gently closed his eyes with her fingers.

The tears – she was having a difficult time seeing as they flooded her. She began to cry – an act she had not done since she was a little girl. In the days of her early womanhood, she had begun to believe that she had finally forgotten how. Deadening herself emotionally was part of who she wanted to be – a woman able to survive in this world without regret. Now, it was surprising to her just how easy the act was. Leon was dead and nothing she could do would change that fact. He had been the one bright spot in her life; the one attachment that she had allowed herself to keep. Now, he was gone – taken by these terrorists, and she had no one to blame but herself! It was she who had brought him here to watch her back while she saw to her own mission… and she quickly began to hate herself for it.

Soon, voices in the distance brought her mind into focus. They were speaking in Arabic. Fortunately for her, the time she had spent in the Middle East made translation an easy matter.

"The shots were fired in this area. Fan out and search for the intruders! Hallar, take your men and search above on the second floor!" She heard a man order his guards.

"I thought I heard a woman screaming nearby. Do you think that one might be wounded?" asked another.

It was unknown how many hostiles were out there searching for them. She took the Sig at her side and pulled out the clip – _ten shots left with another three clips in reserve_.

Gently setting Leon's head upon the cement, she stood and turned to face the incoming rifle flashlights that were making their way both across the lot and along the second floor balcony. They would be on her in less than a minute. The blood in her veins was boiling as her face twisted into a sneer of pure hatred. She hadn't felt this way in years. It was almost like welcoming back a long, lost friend – or an enemy she had tried hard to keep away but knowing that it was only a matter of time before they would cross paths once more. It had now caught up with her, and today she would welcome it with open arms.

Right there and then Ada's smile grew wide with delight as she made a silent vow to herself that none of these bastards would live to see the morning sun.


	2. Chapter 1-2: Rage

**Resident Evil: Vengeance**

**Chapter 1-2: Rage**

**Eastern Warehouse District – Miami, FL**

**May 25****th**** 2014**

**21:45 EST**

Grey – the whole world had turned grey to her eyes… and dark – like seeing everything stripped bare of its natural color giving way to sepia-like tones. However, despite the macabre, Ada felt the smile on her face widen as she crouched low in position on the catwalk above the three remaining guards. They had begun blind-firing in all directions now as terror began to claim each man. After she had brutally dispatched the rest of their team, their fear was understandable. They had comprised of nearly a dozen heavily armed men with Kalashnikovs, grenades, laser sights, and enough gear to start an urban street war. And with all that equipment they were searching for one woman who was quickly decimating their ranks in a deadly game of cat and mouse.

The first one to fall had been almost too easy. He'd been distracted by Leon's body which allowed her to get the drop on him. A quick kick to the back of his knee put him down low enough for her to quickly snap his neck in an motion she had done more times than she could count. To her surprise, despite this guard's high-end gear, he'd also been equipped with a machete. She had removed the sharp blade with a smile, knowing that she would make good use of it. That had set the tone for all that had transpired afterward.

Staying in the shadows, she had moved from position to position with her grapple gun, cutting and slicing through each one of them in the most brutal ways possible. She was a woman skilled in all forms of weaponry to include bladed weapons. While they weren't as elegant or as smooth as the grip of her favorite guns, they did have their own… 'unique' uses.

A light chuckle escaped her lips as she recalled Leon's advice he had given her in Spain almost ten years ago. _"Try using knives next time. Works better for close encounters."_ How apt it was that she was now heeding those words.

But this wasn't about efficiency or killing her enemies quickly. This was about causing as much suffering and death as she could on those who had stolen Leon from her. This was about **_her_** rage and anger. This was about **_her_** vengeance and she wanted to see the fear in their eyes as she sent each man to whatever hell awaited him. A monster had been unleashed upon this warehouse. Not one of claws or fangs as she had faced in the past on her many exploits against Umbrella, but a monster in the form of a cold-blooded killer – a sadist who enjoyed her work. And at this moment, Ada was quite content to let loose the reigns and allow it to run freely.

Her mind focused back on the last three below her. She had been the one responsible for carefully crafting their fear. Each of them had seen what she had done to their comrades – the bloody trail of destruction and death she had left behind in her wake. This had turned into a game for her, and she now knew the moment was at hand to bring it to a close.

All three guards had expended their clips and were beginning to reload their rifles. This was the moment she had been waiting for. With the machete in hand, she fired her grapple gun to the nearby light post and swung down towards their position. Coming in behind the one nearest her, she released the hook and swung the blade as hard as she could. It passed effortlessly through the man's neck, causing his head to roll off of his shoulders while she landed on the pavement and rolled.

The other two were shocked at what they had just witnessed and began cursing loudly as they tried to finish slamming a fresh magazine into their weapons. She wouldn't give them that chance. Coming out of her roll, she did a cartwheel and flip, landing before the man on the right. A swift kick knocked the rifle from his hands, and she then swung the blade to her left, taking his hand in the process. As he began to scream, she had already begun the backwards motion of her second swing and struck him in the head.

The last man dropped his rifle and ran, but it would do him no good. Two shots rang out from her Sig, and soon he was on the ground grabbing at his legs and screaming. He began to cry out for help, but as soon as he saw her slow, sauntering approach, he quickly turned in an attempt to crawl away. When she reached him, he rolled onto his back and put out his hands as if to entreat for her mercy.

"P… Please… Please!" He moaned.

Digging the stiletto heel of her shoe into the wound on his right leg, he let out a howl of pain. Ada smiled down at him and replied, "Too bad."

She raised the bloody instrument above her head and quickly brought it down. His moans soon turned to screams of agony as she continued again and again. Letting loose her rage, the fury washed over her. After the third strike, he went silent as death released him from his torment, but still she continued to savage his corpse. Tears began to flood her eyes once more as she heard herself screaming out Leon's name. At last, with two hands she swung and embedded the machete into what was left of the dead guard's skull and stood over him.

Blinking her eyes, the grayish tint to her vision began to disappear to where she could now see in color once more. A drop landed on her cheek from her brow to which she quickly wiped it way and looked at her fingers. It was blood – and not just on her hand but all over her. She was covered in it. Taking a deep breath, she quickly oriented herself and realized that she was standing in the middle of the lot surrounded by the remains of her adversaries. She had killed them all, and it was with that realization that her training and instincts took over.

Firing her grapple gun, Ada pulled herself up to the second floor walkway of the warehouse and pushed herself against a dark portion of the building's side. She scanned her surroundings in an effort to ascertain if anyone else was in sight or heading her way. From what she could see, no reinforcements had been sent to check on the dead men below her – that was either a good sign… or a bad one. Good, being that these terrorists might only have a small security detachment guarding this facility, or the bad being that the rest of them were bunkered down inside, waiting for a siege.

Wiping her bloody brow, Ada whispered to herself. "Damn it! I don't know what I was doing back there, but I need to get a hold of myself and fast." Getting killed was not what Leon had died saving her for. She needed to be more subtle or this mission would end in failure.

_Leon_ – The thought of him caused her heart to ache. Ada took a moment and looked down from the walkway, gazing upon his body one last time. He was still where she had left him; untouched by the guards who had happened upon his body. She had made sure of that.

When she had finally left his side, she had placed his hands on his chest. It was a silly, sentimental thing to do – as if the act would make his passing easier for her to bear. It had failed in that regard to which Ada silently cursed – at God, at herself, and at these terrorists for taking a good and honorable man from this world when it should have been her lying there.

Leon's death was still very close to her heart, and that sadness was crushing. Her rage on the other hand had been sated somewhat after she had dispatched the guards. _Dispatched?_ She thought to herself. No, what she had done was slaughter, plain and simple. She had butchered them like cattle – and she had enjoyed every minute of it. That was not how she had been taught to take life. It was to be quick and clean – a bullet to the head or chest and put your target down fast. But she had been so angry back there. She wanted to make them suffer and as a result, her rage had taken over.

What was happening to her? She was beginning to revert back to the woman she had once been before RaccoonCity – before she had met Leon. Regardless, this night would be engraved into her mind like a hot branding iron on skin. The only thing she could do now was to finish her mission and make sure that these terrorists paid for what they had done.

Continuing on, Ada made her way toward the eastern section of the complex as quickly and quietly as she could. Taking the phone from her side, she brought up the schematics of the warehouse. More than likely the product would be in the center of the building on the second floor as that was where the main concentration of power usage was centered. But before she could claim it she would need to find a way to enter the complex. A side entrance was up ahead – that would be her insertion point.

As she continued along the walkway, her mind began to wonder where the sniper had gone. It seemed strange that after he had shot Leon, the shooter had taken one final shot at her and then disappeared. To where? Was he setting up elsewhere to take her down, too? Why hadn't he waited her out from his position? She didn't know the answer to those questions, but it could wait. Right now, she planned on taking advantage of the situation by infiltrating the building before the sniper could return and finish the job.

Moving closer to the entrance, she could hear voices arguing.

"We should go and check on them. We can't just sit here!" One was whispering loudly.

"We can and we will! Our orders are to guard the eastern entrance. Let the patrol team do their job!" The other replied.

"Were you hearing the same thing I was? All that gunfire and screams – what if they are all dead?"

He then spoke into his radio. "Hallar? Yamir? What is your status?"

She quietly attached the silencer to her Sig and approached the ledge while letting the shadows envelop her. There were three hostiles below – the two who were arguing were near the gate leading to the parking lot while another was in the guard shack next to the warehouse.

Ada quickly lined up her shots, taking into account the added weight of the suppressor. Gently pulling the trigger, the pistol sneezed, and the guard she had targeted was down with a bullet to the head.

"What the f... ugh!" The other grunted before she put him on the ground next to his comrade.

"Amateurs." Ada smiled to herself.

The man in the guard house had heard the commotion and stepped out with rifle in hand to call out to the other two she had just shot. When he caught sight of their bodies, he stopped, giving her a clean shot. A third pull of the trigger and the route was now open to her.

Jumping down from the walkway, she silently landed on the parking lot pavement and walked toward the guard shack as if nothing unpleasant had occurred. "Don't get up, boys. I'm just passing through," Ada quipped as a smile cracked in the corner of her mouth. She was beginning to feel like her old self again – calm, confident, and deadly.

Upon entering the guard shack, Ada went to the computer and tapped the Enter key. The dark monitor immediately gave way to the desktop… and brought the second shock of the night along with it. She felt her eyes widen as she gazed upon the all-too-familiar red and white logo on the screen – however this one had a roman numeral 'I' in the center of it.

"Umbrella?" She whispered. How was that possible? Umbrella had been under indictment by Congress after the Raccoon City outbreak. All of their research and technology had been confiscated by the government, and they had been put out of business a year later.

Of course that detail hadn't stopped Carla Radames from finding the resources and facilities to form Neo-Umbrella and launch her own global bio-war last year with the help of Derek Simmons. The US was still cleaning up contamination from the nuclear destruction of Tall Oaks, and Lanshiang, China was all but abandoned. It appeared that this cell in Miami had formed itself out of Umbrella's interests in the Middle East, but where would they be getting the financing to run an operation like this?

She shook her head. None of that mattered right now. What mattered to her was retrieving the product she had been sent to obtain and killing off the last of these terrorists before the authorities arrived. No doubt the gunfire from those careless guards had already attracted unwanted attention. Time was growing short.

The computer didn't appear to have access to the warehouse itself, but it did have control over parking lot security. A push of a button and five metal posts rose up out of the pavement in front of the entrance gate. They were devices used to prevent entry to the facility – now she would use them to prevent any escape. Ada smiled.

"There. That should keep them from fleeing before I'm finished here," she said as she brought up her pistol and shot the computer hard drive.

Walking toward the body of the guard who had occupied the shack, she noticed a key card on a lanyard around his neck. She quickly removed it. "You won't mind if I borrow this, will you? I have an appointment with your friends on the inside, and they'd die if I missed it."

With a quick swipe, she heard the click on the door lock, and the red light on the panel turned green. Quietly she opened the door and entered the warehouse.

There was an Umbrella infestation inside this facility, and she planned on exterminating it – permanently.


	3. Chapter 1-3: Infiltration

**Resident Evil: Vengeance**

**Chapter 1-3: Infiltration**

**Eastern Warehouse District – Miami, FL**

**May 25****th**** 2014**

**21:55 EST**

_Sticking to the shadows isn't really my style, but it does have its advantages_, Ada thought to herself as she remained concealed from view. She watched from the shadows as the man seated at the computer conversed with another individual over the monitor. Patience was of the utmost importance right now. She would need to time her movements perfectly if she wanted to remain undetected.

While it was her preference to move quickly against enemy strongholds, given the fact that this building was full of armed guards with enough gear to tear her to shreds, Ada decided that the safest thing to do right now was to move slowly and utilize stealth. Giving her presence away too early would only lead to her death, and she could not allow that to happen when there were so many more of these Umbrella One terrorists to dispose of.

"Dr. Hamza," the man at the computer said, "I am still unable to get in contact with Yamir and Hallar. I am afraid their teams might have been eliminated!"

"They are here then. We must prepare to evacuate this facility, Tarik," the man on the computer screen replied. "It is sooner than I would like, but we have no choice in the matter. I want you to prepare the trucks in the loading bay for departure immediately. We need to move out once everything has been seen to in the lab."

"Yes sir, I will see to it immediately."

Reaching toward the back of her belt, she slowly removed her knife and quietly approached the man. Once behind him, her left hand covered his mouth and jerked his head back; in the same motion she brought the knife around and shoved it into his throat. His eyes bulged in surprise as blood squirted out onto the desk in front of him. She held him firm while he struggled against her, and soon his body stopped convulsing and went slack.

Removing the knife, Ada pushed the rolling chair to the side and approached the computer terminal. To her good fortune, the dead man was still logged into the system. With a few taps of the keys, she bought up a layout of the warehouse.

As she suspected, the lab was on the second floor, and that was where the product would be located. The only things standing in her way were the additional security personnel patrolling the warehouse interior. Her quick count had put their number at around twenty, but perhaps there were even more in the lab where this Dr. Hamza was located. She soon began to wonder why security was so tight. Was it to guard the product… or something else? A smaller operation would have drawn less attention from the outside. Whatever they were guarding, the people in charge of this Umbrella cell believed the larger profile was worth the risk.

Continuing to scan the computer's data, Ada noticed that there was one email in the inbox. It had been sent yesterday.

_Tarik, we must move up our departure timeline. The benefactor has grown suspicious of our motives, and I fear it will only be a matter of time before they send a team to steal our research. We must not allow this to happen or else all of our holy work will be ruined. Effective immediately, we must vacate these premises by 9:00 AM on Monday the 26__th__. You will be in charge of obtaining four non-descript vehicles capable of carrying the specimens to the assigned rendezvous point. Our plan to reclaim the Holy Land is close at hand. Soon the infidels will tremble at the might of our armies. We cannot allow any outside interference at this critical juncture. In the name of Allah! – H._

"Specimens?" Ada whispered to herself. Whatever this product was, it appeared as if this cell had the scientific expertise to begin some type of field testing. And who was the benefactor that was mentioned?

Clicking on the attachment file bought up a picture of the Miami docks along with a map of Israel. Four cities were circled in red – Tel Aviv, Beersheba, Ashdod, and Haifa. It appeared that these terrorists were preparing to launch a new biological attack on the Israeli homeland.

Flipping open her side pack, she removed a thumb stick and inserted into the hard drive. "I'm sure Homeland Security and Mossad would be very interested in this informational tidbit." She had contacts in nearly all high-level security agencies across the globe. Every now and again when she stumbled on useful intelligence, she would sell it to any one of them for a lofty price. It was one of the perks of keeping up her high-maintenance lifestyle.

All of a sudden she heard the sound of footsteps approaching her location. There was no time; she had to move or risk being spotted. Leaving the thumb stick in the computer to finish its download, she silently moved toward a darkened portion of the room behind the door. Ada pushed herself against the wall in anticipation of her uninvited guest.

"Tarik, Dr. Hamza wants you to…!"

Grabbing the unaware guard by the arm, she turned and spun him toward the wall. With her hand on the back of his head, Ada slammed him face-first into the cinderblock wall.

"Wall, meet face," she said as she pulled his head back.

Slamming him a second time she replied, "Face, wall."

After the third, she could hear the sound of bone shattering upon impact. Letting go of him, his body slumped to the floor leaving a trail of blood running down the length of the wall.

_I won't be able to remain undetected for too much longer. Best do as much damage as I can before they realize I'm here_, she thought as she grabbed the thumb drive from the computer. Heading for the door, she moved out onto the walkway and into the shadows.

Fortunately, the terrorists of Umbrella One had gone to great lengths in keeping their operation a secret and maintaining the façade that this facility was nothing more than an abandoned warehouse. Lights were kept at a minimum so as not to give away their presence which allowed most of the facility to remain dimly lit. The guards however, were all equipped with rifle flashlights. While movement in the dark would be to her advantage, if she got caught in one of those beams, it wouldn't matter any more.

She still had a mission to see to, but the intel gleaned from the computer gave her pause. This group had successfully conducted some type of experiment using this product – and now they were mobile. Four delivery trucks were located on the floor below her near the loading bay door. Those vehicles would need to be disabled to prevent any type of escape. She could not allow this product or the terrorists within to leave the warehouse.

Before she could see to her objective, a voice spoke over the building's loud speakers.

"Attention, this is Dr. Hamza. An unauthorized entry into this facility was detected in the southern sector at door 1S. We must assume this facility has been compromised. Team 1, search the area for any signs of intrusion and eliminate all trespassers. Team 2, prepare the vehicles for departure. Team 3, begin purging all data from the computer systems immediately. Prepare to move out in fifteen minutes."

_That doesn't give me much time_, Ada thought as she moved into cover. A five-man team wearing flak jackets and helmets passed by her hiding spot and continued on toward the southern sector of the building. Maybe she could take advantage and thin their ranks? The product might be her ultimate goal, but she had also planned on eliminating the rest of these vipers. She was not about to let Leon's death be for nothing.

Once the guards had moved on, she dashed out from cover and leapt over the guide rail. Pulling out her hookshot, she aimed toward the ceiling and embedded the grapple hook into the roof to slow her descent. She landed softly on roof of the rear truck.

"Did you hear something?" A voice below her asked.

Just then there was a loud crash. Someone in the distance had dropped something metallic onto the cement floor.

"Nah, just Sulla and his clumsy fingers," said another who chuckled. "Be sure to stand far enough away when he loads those creatures onto the trucks, my friend. I would not want to be nearby if one of them were to escape before we set them loose upon the Zionists."

"Very true. Still, I do not understand why we cannot have more light on the floor. If we truly have an intruder, do they want us tripping over each other in the darkness as we search?"

"Remember brother that we are supposed to be occupying an 'abandoned' warehouse. It would not do well to advertise our presence by lighting up this place like the Americans' Times Square. The lab itself already takes up most of the generator's power. It is a risk we cannot take."

Ada pulled out the night vision glasses she kept in her pack and switched them on. Peering over the side, she could see three of them in the green glow. There were two talking between the truck she was on and the one in front of her. Another was patrolling between the vehicles. This would require some finesse. She had two small packages of C4 that she had brought with her. They would need to be planted under the lead two trucks in order for them to block the other two in the rear.

When the patrolling guard passed by her position, she silently dropped from the roof and made for the lead two vehicles. Going low, Ada rolled under the red Jackmond's delivery truck that was located on the right. Removing the C4, she quickly placed it under the gas tank of the vehicle and pushed the button to activate it with the remote detonator she had brought along.

The patrolling guard was on his way back. He passed by and made for the front of the vehicles. _One, two… three!_ She silently counted the man's footsteps and then rolled under the left truck to repeat the same process. After planting the charge, she was ready to move and acquire her second objective.

All of a sudden a flashlight was shining on her.

'What the…?" She heard the started guard say.

The man had hesitated in that split second, but after years of experience, she didn't. Letting reflex and instinct take over, Ada quickly aimed her Sig right above the light of the flashlight. Squeezing the trigger, the man's head whipped back and his body hit the ground hard. _Well, so much for subtlety…_

As she feared, the man's companions had heard the commotion. "Abdul? Are you alright?"

She could see the flashlights coming her way. Rolling toward the left side of the truck, Ada crept silently toward the front of the vehicle keeping it between her and the men on approach. They were moving between the two sets of parked trucks which would give her the advantage. Once they had passed the cab, she turned and pressed herself against the front of the truck. She peered out and saw one of them shine a light on the guard she had just shot. Moving out of cover, she flanked them.

"Too bad, boys," she said as she quickly pulled the trigger. Her silenced Sig sneezed twice, and both were down before they could turn.

However, her window for a stealthy approach was quickly evaporating as more voices, footsteps, and flashlights were heading in her direction. She grabbed an assault rifle from one of the dead guards and slung it over her shoulder. Firing her hookshot, she pulled herself up onto the second floor walkway. Once at her destination, she pushed herself against the wall leading toward the lab. There had been no time to hide the bodies, and now she would have to move fast to fulfill the last part of her mission before the alarm was raised.

The voices below her began shouting – it was too late. The noise had been enough to break her concentration causing her to look down below her. When she looked back toward the hallway, the guard in front of her had noticed her at the same time.

Her pistol came up, but the man had countered her move and knocked it from her hand. She immediately grabbed his assault rifle, and the two of them began to struggle against one another in an effort to gain the upper hand. Then he made a fatal mistake. He took his eyes off of her and called out for help. Flipping backwards, she kicked the rifle. He had held onto it with one hand, but now he was off balance. Pivoting on her left heel, Ada spun and sent a kick right to the guard's chin. He stumbled and fell over the guide rail screaming and firing off the weapon on his way down to the concrete floor.

All hell broke loose. Bullets began to whiz passed her from the direction of the lab. As she got into cover, the warehouse alarm went off.

"Attention!" Came the familiar voice over the loudspeaker. "This is Dr. Hamza. We have a female intruder outside the labs. All remaining personnel regroup and eliminate her!"

_I need to get moving and fast!_ She quickly picked up her Sig and removed the silencer; there was no need for it now. A brief glance down the hallway showed two men blocking her destination. Below her, the rest of the warehouse was making their way to the second floor. She had to make a move or be overwhelmed.

Reaching around the corner, Ada fired off two shots at the fire extinguisher on the wall. It exploded and showered the two men in foam. They began cursing and screaming, giving her enough time to switch her glasses from night vision to thermal. The guards showed up as bright red on the dark background. With two shots, they were down.

The others were almost at her position. Breaking from cover, she ran down the length of the dark hall and made a left into what appeared to be a large experiment room. Another door was located on the northern side of the room which appeared to connect to the main lab of this facility. As she ran towards the opening however, the automatic door quickly lowered, and the light turned from green to red.

"What the hell?"

Turning to look behind her, Ada watched as the door she had just come through lowered and locked as well. She was trapped!

The room looked like a hospital operating room. There were surgical instruments that were laid out on a couple of gurneys – some still stained with blood. There was even computer control and monitoring equipment all along the walls of the room. But what caught her attention were the four large, black cylinders that were positioned against each of the four walls. Each was roughly four to five feet in circumference and nearly eight feet tall. All of the computer equipment seemed to be attached to them… monitoring them.

Suddenly a large computer monitor in the room turned on with the Umbrella One logo on the screen. Soon it was replaced with the face of a balding man with glasses wearing a white lab coat.

She spoke first, "You must be this Dr. Hamza I keep hearing about."

He responded in flawless English. "And you must be the intruder that has been killing my men, yes? Who are you?"

There was no good reason to answer his query, but she decided to play along for now. "Ada Wong," she replied.

His eyes squinted behind his glasses. "Ada Wong…" he said slowly. "I believe I have heard that name before in Umbrella's many files concerning rogue operatives." Looking back up at the screen, he continued, "Who sent you here?"

Ada knew from the email she had intercepted that this cell was afraid of some unnamed 'benefactor' so she tried a bluff. "Who do you think, Doctor?"

Hamza grumbled on the other side of the screen. "I should have known that they would send someone eventually. But if it is the product you are after, I am afraid I cannot allow you or them to take possession of it. For the first time in decades, my people finally have an advantage to use against the thieves of our Holy Land. I shall die before I allow it to be taken from me!"

"If you release this weapon on Israel like you plan, there will be no way for you to control it. It will spread into the lands of your own people and kill them before it burns out."

"Maybe it will, but it will be a small sacrifice to pay to see our birthright fulfilled!" He smiled and turned back to the screen. "And as for you, Ada Wong… now that you are trapped with them, you will have the privilege to be the first to die at the hands of Allah's children."

With that, he cut the transmission, and the monitor went black. Almost immediately, the control panels and computers next to each cylinder lit up and began to beep. Soon a loud hiss could be heard from each tube as steam began to release from the top. The black enclosures that had covered all of them began to lower revealing the contents inside the cylinders.

Ada felt her eyes widen. "Oh my God…" she whispered.

The liquid inside began to drain.


	4. Chapter 1-4: Product

**Resident Evil: Vengeance**

**Chapter 1-4: Product**

**Eastern Warehouse District – Miami, FL**

**May 25****th**** 2014**

**22:21 EST**

The final portion of liquid had finished draining from the glass cylinders leaving them empty save only for the contents that remained. As she approached one of the tubes, Ada's eyes widened. This couldn't be happening. Of all the things she had seen in her life…

Curled up in a fetal position at the base of the cylinder, a blonde-haired teenaged girl no more than sixteen or seventeen years old slowly opened her eyes. She began to cough as the liquid within her lungs ran from her mouth. Slowly however, she began to right herself and unsteadily made it to her knees. The girl's eyes looked up and found her own staring back; Ada could see the silent terror held within them. Placing her hands on the glass, her eyes were silently pleading for help.

"Please…" the teen whispered before a new fit of coughing began to take her. "Help me…"

Ada was overcome with the sheer horror of what it was she was witnessing. This Umbrella One cell was using **_children_** in experiments for what ever this product was that they had created. As her eyes searched the other cylinders, there were three others roughly the same age as the girl before her – two boys and one other girl. _What in the hell have they done!?_

"What did they do to you?" Ada asked.

She wanted to help these kids, but the logical part of her brain knew that something was wrong with them. The communication she had intercepted from the email hinted that Umbrella One's intentions were to release this new bio-weapon on four Israeli cities. _Four cylinders – four children. __**They**__ were the bio weapons!_

"Please…" the girl repeated, but another fit of coughing began to take her once more.

Looking down at the girl's knees, Ada saw black tar-like spots beginning to form at the base of the cylinder from her spittle; black fluid was beginning to ooze from her mouth and down her chin. Looking at the nearest tubes, she saw that the others were also suffering similar effects. The sound of the girl retching brought Ada's attention back. Her eyes widened when she saw the girl belching up a large quantity of tar-like liquid that seemed to hang suspended from her mouth. When it fell, the dark fluid began to take shape like that of a snake as it quickly began to flop around at the base of the tube.

The girl had time for one scream before her eyes rolled upwards into her head. Falling on her back, she began to convulse violently as more of these black snake-like creatures continued to pour forth from her mouth, nose, and eyes. They then began to wrap themselves around the girl's body, creating a slithering mass of skin that enveloped her from head to toe. The other three had also begun to suffer the same type of metamorphosis and began turning into similar creatures. Once each had been completely enveloped, the creatures soon rose to their feet. The wiggling masses began to slowly pound on the glass case with their slithering tentacles. Each of them let out a blood curdling scream that echoed throughout the room.

"As you can see, Miss Wong," Hamza's voice said over the loud speaker. "These weapons will serve our holy purpose in removing the little Satan from our rightful lands."

"You sick bastard!" Ada yelled back. "These are children!"

"**_AMERICAN_** vermin that were discarded on the streets of this so-called 'free society! Now they have been perfected to serve Allah's cause. I had wished to see them unleashed upon the occupiers of Palestine, but as long as I have the product, I shall have His ability to create more. As for you, you shall be the first to die at the hands of these glorious instruments as well as this wretched city. The data I gather from your death shall only serve to perfect them further!"

"Damn it!" She swore.

The banging on the glass confines grew in intensity as did the screams from the creatures. They wanted out; and when they did, they were coming for her. Soon the tubes began to crack; turning the glass into spider web patterns. She had to get out here. The cylinders wouldn't be able to hold much longer, and Ada didn't relish the thought of close quarters combat in this small room with four bio-weapons. The doors leading out were automatically sealed so that route was closed to her. Looking up at the walls, she then spotted something – an air vent. It looked wide enough to where her small frame could fit through.

Taking the hook shot from her belt, Ada fired into the vent cover and began to pull. With some effort, she heard the metal groan until the grate finally popped out of the opening and fell to the ground with a crash. The sound of glass breaking behind her only served as a reminder to hasten her efforts. Looking over her shoulder, she saw that one of the specimens had begun to slither itself through a hole in the tube. The others had also managed to break open places through their own chambers and were struggling to wiggle through the openings. There was no more time.

Ada quickly aimed for the opening and fired. As she pulled herself up to the vent, she heard one of the creatures shriek and charge at her. Once inside, she began to crawl as quickly as she could until a tight black tentacle managed to grab her right ankle and began wrapping itself around her foot. Grabbing her Sig, she fired at it. The tentacle severed near the edge of the opening and fell back inside the room causing the creature let out a scream of protest. The part that had been wrapped around her foot loosened its grip and fell into the vent shaft wiggling like a worm. Pulling back her foot, Ada gave it a sharp kick and knocked it out of the vent.

Turning around, she put on her night vision glasses and began to climb her way through the pitch black air vent. Below her position, she heard the sound of the automatic door opening to the warehouse. Almost immediately the sounds of shouts and gunfire echoed and were soon replaced by screams of agony. _Hamza must have released them into the warehouse to find me._ At least they would take out the remaining guards, giving her a chance to focus solely on them without any distractions.

Up ahead was a vent opening that had a view of the second floor walkway. As she looked down, she saw the guards below falling back while firing their rifles. Suddenly a soldier who had been unlucky enough to be in the front was impaled by a long black tentacle. His blood sprayed all over the men who had been behind him. They panicked and unloaded their clips into their comrade as well as the creature, but its body seemed to absorb every bullet fired at it without taking damage. The four of them soon swarmed the remaining guards, and the battle quickly turned into a slaughter. All of Hamza's men now lay head. Two of them had been "enveloped" by the snake-like masses covering the creatures' bodies causing them to grow in size. The rest had taken dozens of bullets a piece, and it seemed to have no effect on any of them.

Ada began to slowly move further down the vent. **_CREEK!_** She froze at the sound. Although she couldn't see them, she heard a creature below snort and begin to move directly under her position. It slowly walked back and forth while emitting a horrifying growl. Soon the noise below her stopped, and she felt safe enough to exhale. She'd need to be more careful while moving or else she risked giving her position away. Even the slightest sound seemed to… **_SHREEAAK!_** A blade-like appendage shot up through the vent near her feet and began to cut through the metal. They knew she was here!

"Shit!" She gasped as she began to crawl forward. She had to get out of this vent or she'd be skewered by these monsters for sure.

**_SHREEAAK!_** Another tentacle shot up in front of her face halting her advance. The creatures below were screaming. They had her trapped and were determined to capitalize on it. Whatever vestiges of their former selves that they might have had were gone. There was no hope of saving them. They had been engineered for one purpose – to bring death. Soon the whole vent began to shake.

_No!_ She thought. _I won't let it end like this! I'm not going to let Hamza win!_ Whatever it would take to see this through she would do. There was no price she would not pay. She steeled herself and pulled the knife from her belt. Tonight the terrorist leader of Umbrella One would die by her hands.

Slicing the blade outward, the long tentacle before her was cut and quickly pulled itself out of the vent. Ada began to crawl as the passage behind her tilted down toward the catwalks. The creatures were attempting to pull the vent to the floor. She had to get out. Ahead of her was another opening. If she could get it open, maybe she could fight these things in the open with room to maneuver. It was a long shot considering how fast the fully equipped guards had been eliminated, but she wasn't about to go down without a fight. She already owed a debt to this entire cell for taking Leon from her, and now she'd pay them back for these children that had been brutalized in these sick experiments. And all debts ever owed by Ada Wong were always repaid – one way or another.

Making it to the vent cover, she placed herself in a seated position. Extending her legs, Ada kicked the cover. It wouldn't budge so she kicked it harder. Suddenly, one of the creatures grabbed the vent and placed its face at the opening. After a hiss, it let out an ear-piercing shriek. Removing her Sig, she fired an entire clip into the creature's face. The tar-like snakes continued to squirm around its head as if all of her rounds had caused it no damage. But the vent cover had – it was beginning to list under the weight of the creature. With both feet, Ada kicked as hard as she could. Suddenly there was a moan of metal, and then both the cover and the creature holding it fell all the way down to the first floor by the trucks.

Swinging her legs out of the vent, the other three had taken notice of her. Ada aimed her hook shot at one of the over hanging lights and quickly pulled herself out of the danger zone. Landing on the second floor walkway, she un-shouldered the assault rifle she had gleaned and aimed down the sight at the nearest creature. Pulling the trigger, she unloaded the clip. The bullets struck the slithering black mass sending drops of dark liquid onto the walkway. The liquid began to pool and quickly reattached itself to its host. _These things are impervious to conventional weapons._ She'd have to come up with another plan of attack and quickly. They were already moving in her direction.

Ada noticed something behind one of the creatures – a red barrel with a hand pump sticking out from the top. _A fuel barrel?_ Quickly turning her sights, she squeezed the trigger and emptied the rest of the extended clip. The barrel punctured and began to spill fuel out onto the walkway. As soon as her last bullet struck the metal of the walkway, a spark ignited the gasoline and enveloped the closest creature. It screamed as the black snakes began to fall from its body revealing the darkened red-eyed form of one of the boys from the operating room. She didn't have a choice. As soon as she slammed a new magazine into her weapon she aimed for its head.

"I'm sorry," she said and then fired. The bullets penetrated the skull sending blackened red blood flying out the back. Just as quickly, it fell to its knees and collapsed upon the walkway.

_It's the fire!_ She thought to herself. _The fire is what hurts them!_

The other two were almost upon her as they began shrieking at their comrade's demise. She had to move, but to where? There had to be a way to create more fire in order to burn off the coverings so she could have a clear shot at the under body of the creatures. Where could she…? Then it came to her. _The C4!_

The creatures charged at her with their tentacles pointed in her direction. With a cartwheel flip, she passed in between the two of them and then aimed her hook shot at the ceiling. Pulling herself up, she let loose the cable and landed in the middle of the trucks. Tossing the assault rifle to the floor, she pulled out the detonator.

One of them landed behind the trucks and slowly came forward as it hissed its displeasure. Behind her, the other came in and quickly took a swipe at her neck. Ducking beneath the creature's swing, she saw the other charge at her. Firing the hook shot at the walkway, she pulled herself out of the blast zone. The creatures collided into each other, creating one giant mass of black. Flipping the switch to arm the charges, she then pressed the button once she landed on the walkway. The two explosions rocked the warehouse sending flame and debris in all directions. Below her, the two creatures shrieked loudly as they were quickly engulfed from head to tow in fire. Two shots rang out from her Sig, and soon their bodies stopped moving as they collapsed within the flames.

Now it was time to deal with Dr. Hamza. She turned and was immediately grabbed by one of the guards… but something was wrong. She had noticed that he had been disemboweled, and his innards were hanging from a large wound in his belly. His eyes… they were grayish in color. He had been turned into a zombie! Grabbing the corpse by the throat, Ada pushed the barrel of her Sig under its chin and fired. The undead guard collapsed backwards onto the walkway and was motionless. Looking up she saw at least a half dozen more coming from the hallway leading to the labs. That was where the first of them had fallen in the initial attack by the creatures. All of them were moaning and were shuffling in her direction. Aiming at the closest one, she shot it in the head and put it down. Her sights were then set on the next… and then the one after it.

As she got to the last two, something grabbed her from behind and tossed her clear over the undead before her. Ada hit the wall hard and fell to the floor. Looking up, she saw what it was. _The last creature… the one from the vent. _ Once it had fallen from view, she had been too preoccupied with the other three to pay it any mind at the time. Now she wished that she had. The creature shot out its tentacle-like arms and impaled the last two zombies. Bringing them both back to its slithering body, the tangled mass began to envelop them. As it did, its body began to grow in size.

_I have to kill it, but I need fire…_ She was down to her last clip for her Sig – that ammo was needed and right now it wouldn't make a dent on this thing. Looking past the creature to the walkway, she spotted one of the dead guards had grenades strapped to his chest. One of them was red – an incendiary grenade? She had to get to it.

Rising to her feet, Ada charged down the hall. The creature had grown to where its frame was blocking most of the pathway out. When it saw her, it soon charged and raised its left arm. As it swung in her direction, she quickly planted her right foot against the wall and pushed off, somersaulting over the creature's shoulder. Once she had landed near the guard's body, she grabbed the grenade. When the creature turned to face her, she had already pulled the pin.

"Time to end this," she said as she tossed the object.

Landing at the feet of the creature, the incendiary grenade exploded in flame, bathing the entire hallway. The creature shrieked as the snake-like mass began to melt off the host body. When she saw its face, she knew who it was. It had been the blonde-haired girl whom had begged for her help. Even now the red eyes stared into her own as if pleading for Ada to end its misery… and she did. The round echoed, and the creature quickly fell to the floor.

It was over – all of the bio weapons were now dead as well as their undead by-products. **_That_** had been Umbrella One's plan all along – infiltrate a city with one of these infected children and let it spread the virus. The resulting zombie epidemic would overwhelm the population being targeted. This was cruelty on a scale she had never encountered before. She had dealt with the likes of Simmons, Wesker, and their minions in the past, but this… this was beyond inhuman. It all had to be stopped – permanently.

Suddenly she heard Hamza's voice over the loudspeaker. **_"NOOOO!_** You bitch! These were Allah's glorious creations! Do you have any idea what you have done!?"

"I've stopped your threat, Hamza!" She replied as she made her way toward the labs. "And now I'm coming for you!"

"I think not! I still have the product. Allah has made me his holy instrument, and my calling is to perfect this research!" He yelled back. "But as for you… you shall burn with all the rest!"

All of a sudden a female voice came on over the loudspeaker. "The self-destruct sequence has been initiated. Please exit immediately. This facility will detonate in three minutes."

"You have got to be kidding me," Ada replied. _Another lab – another self-destructing bomb. How some things never change._

"All doors are now unlocked. Please evacuate immediately."

_All doors unlocked?_ That would mean the lab…! Ada didn't bother with finishing her thought as she broke into a sprint down the hallway and passed through the operating room. The locked door to the lab was now open to her. Running through the door, she looked for Hamza, but he wasn't there. _Where the hell did he go?_

The sounds of footsteps could be heard in an adjoining hallway, and Ada was once again on the hunt. As she ran into the hall, she noticed an ammo storage room right outside the lab. Further down, Hamza was on the run carrying a small metal case with him. _He has the product!_

**_"HAMZA!"_** Ada yelled as she fired off a round. It missed him just as he passed through another door labeled STAIRS. Running after him, she saw the door begin to close in front of her. "No, no, **_NO!"_** She yelled but it was too late. The door slammed shut. As she banged on the window, she saw him bar the door with a fire axe. **_"NOOOO!"_**

The smile on his face made her blood boil. He knew that he would get away. In a fit of rage, she fired two more rounds into the door's window glass to no effect. She had only one round left, and she needed to save it.

"Two minutes until detonation."

Hamza had run down the steps and was on his way to the parking lot. She had to intercept him before he could escape with the product – but how? Then she remembered – _The weapons cache by the labs!_ She had seen it before running after him. Backtracking, she found the room. The gear stored there looked like full-grade military ordinance – assault rifles, RPGs… and Semtex.

Ada knew she had little time left to spare. Even if she could open the door to the stairs, she wouldn't be able to reach Hamza in time. It was time to improvise. Slinging an RPG over her shoulder, she grabbed two pieces of the Semtex and a detonator. Returning to the hall, she ran halfway between the labs and the stairs. She quickly primed the detonator and stuck both charges on the wall. One of the many benefits of having an acute memory was knowing where she was in relation to the building's floor plan. The parking lot was on the other side. Putting herself out of range of the blast, she hit the trigger.

"One minute until detonation."

The blast was loud as the vibrations reverberated down the entire hallway. She now had her access point. As quickly as the smoke began to dissipate, she saw the scientist enter a white car and put it in gear. Ada felt a smile form on her face as she carefully un-shouldered the rocket launcher. Hamza sped through the lot… and didn't see the parking barriers that she had raised earlier. The car smashed into them and stopped dead in its tracks – giving her a clear shot.

Pulling the trigger, the missile shot forth leaving a trail of exhaust behind it. Going low, it passed under the vehicle and exploded. The car flew into the air and flipped over onto its roof causing glass to shatter across the pavement.

"Ten seconds until detonation… nine… eight…"

Ada dropped the launcher and fired her hook shot at the nearby light post. Swinging to the pavement, she heard the inside of the warehouse explode into flames behind her as the lab and all of its horrors were consumed. There was just one last objective that she had to take care of here.

Turning toward the car, she saw that the undercarriage was hemorrhaging fuel onto the pavement all around the vehicle. Inside, Hamza was trapped by his seatbelt suspended upside down. Blood was running down a large gash in his forehead. The driver's side door had blown off during the explosion so she could see him reaching for a small metal case lying on the pavement just out of his grasp.

Stopping in front of him, she reached down and picked it up. The biohazard symbol was emblazoned in orange on the top.

"No…" he whispered. "You cannot… win. I am Allah's… chosen one."

Winning and losing – did everything come down to those two opposing factors? Coming here tonight, she had brought with her the brightest spot in her dark and dangerous life. Now Leon's life had been snuffed out like a flame on a candle wick. She had lost more than she could have dared imagine. And what of those children she'd been forced to kill? Hadn't they lost everything they had? Even now, all this sociopath could think about was that **_he_** was the one who had lost.

"You sick son of a bitch!" She replied. "After what you did to those children, you're nothing but a monster!"

He spat his bloody phlegm at her feet. There was no remorse in his eyes for anything he had done. He truly was a monster – through and through.

"I'll make you a deal, Hamza. You answer my questions, and I'll leave you for the authorities; don't answer…" She pulled out a zippo lighter she had absconded from one of the guards and lit it. "… and this car will be your funeral pyre."

His eyes glared at her. They registered his fear at being burned alive, but he refused to acknowledge her.

"What is this product?" Given that all of the research had been destroyed in the explosion, she wanted to know what it was that she was dealing with.

Coughing, he glared at her once more, but his stubbornness was trumped by his desire to live. "It is a successful blending… of the Uroboros virus and… the T-Veronica virus."

_T-Veronica?_ She had stolen a sample less than a year ago to remove an assassination order on Leon's life **_(*1)_**. Could this… could this have been the same virus? How would this cell have gotten a hold of it?

"Who provided you with this T-Veronica virus? Who is this 'benefactor' of yours, Hamza?"

"U… Umbrella…" he replied weakly.

"Umbrella's been defunct for over fifteen years. Try again."

"Umbrella!" He yelled. "They give us… Umbrella equipment… money… they supported us, gave us the goal to combine… the viruses. Umbrella!"

That was either a cleverly-concealed lie, or a truth this man actually believed. Was it possible that some part of Umbrella's leadership had survived the government-mandated shutdown? If that was the case, this might be even bigger than she had first thought. She felt her eyes narrow. There was one final question she wanted answered.

"One last question, doctor – who was your sniper on the water tower that killed my friend?"

His eyes furrowed in confusion. "Sniper…? I… I do not… know what you are speaking of…"

**_"THE SNIPER!"_** she yelled as images of Leon dying in her arms flooded her. "Who is he!? I want his name!"

"We… we did not… have a sniper. Guards… only guards…"

_He doesn't know what I'm talking about._ Leon's killer – he wasn't associated with Umbrella One. What in the world was going on here? Was another group involved in trying to acquire this product? Could it have been this man's 'benefactor'? The sirens in the distance pulled her back from her questions. The authorities would be here soon. She'd need time to make her escape.

Hamza was looked up at the lighter in her hand. "I answered… your questions. Now please… leave me. You promised to let me… live."

Ada felt a smile form on her lips as she heard the fear in his words. Hamza was a coward just like all the other terrorists. He preached a big game when in the safety of his hiding place, but once flushed into the light, he was just another blowhard pleading for his life. Now it was he who was at **_her_** mercy… and she was enjoying it.

"You're right, I did..." Her smile widened, "…but I lied."

With that, she tossed the lighter into a pool of gasoline that had formed near the driver side door. The flames began to stretch and surround the vehicle as she turned and walked away – the smile still on her face. Behind her, she could begin to hear him curse at her in Arabic until he began to scream… and scream loud as he was soon immolated inside his vehicle.

"That was for those children, you bastard!"

As she exited the parking lot, the beeper on her spare headset began to signal her. Placing it on her ear, she answered the call.

"Agent Wong," said the man on the other end. "I'm one minute out from your position, but there is a very large contingent of police and government vehicles heading your way. It won't be able to land near your position."

_The helicopter pilot. _ She'd almost forgotten that he had been dispatched to pick her up.

"Copy that," she replied. "I'm moving to secure my vehicle. I will contact the organization when it is safe enough to do so."

"Did you succeed in recovering the product, Miss Wong?" This was a different voice, but it sounded familiar. It sounded like one of her contacts from the organization she did work for… the one she had made a deal to give the T-Veronica virus to in exchange for Leon's life! An uncomfortable feeling began to wash over her. Something seemed off about this. Why was he contacting her?

"I have it," she replied.

"Excellent. Make your way…"

She cut him off. "I'm on the run as we speak. I'll get in contact with you after it's safe."

With that, she removed the earpiece and tossed it to the ground. She needed time to think. Between what Hamza had told her about Umbrella, Leon's death at the hands of a mysterious sniper, and now her organization's interest in this product… She had to figure out what was going on… and who if anyone she could trust.

_Trust…_

"Leon…" she whispered softly.

She could feel the sting of tears in her eyes, but there'd be time enough to mourn him later. Right now she knew she had to track down this sniper. He was the one individual who might be able to answer the questions she had. As she entered her car, she looked toward the water tower nearly one hundred yards away. Putting the vehicle in gear, she made her way towards it.

Her search for answers was now beginning.

**_End of Chapter 1-4 – Next: Chapter 2-1: Search_**

_*1__ – See my fan fiction - "Don't Follow Me"_


	5. Chapter 2-1: Search

**Resident Evil: Vengeance**

**Chapter 2-1: Search**

**Leon's Apartment**

**Moravia Street – Miami, FL**

**May 25****th**** 2014**

**23:58 EST**

After finding an empty space along the street, Ada parked her Mercedes and turned off the ignition. Taking a moment, she placed both hands on the steering wheel and allowed her head to droop. A long, exhausted sigh left her lips. She felt bone-tired – especially after all that she had been through tonight. In this line of work there never seemed to be a moment where she could stop and actually catch her breath. It was a curse concerning the life that she had chosen to lead. Even when she did have a moment, all it ever did was give her time to think, and that was something she had no desire to do right now. After her battle with Umbrella One, the infected children she had been forced to put down… and Leon's death – there was just too much. Thinking about all of that would only distract her and make her vulnerable. Right now she needed to keep her focus on what it was she had come here to do.

Glancing over at the passenger seat, she picked up a plastic bag that contained a single .308 shell casing. This had been the only one she had been able to recover from the water tower. Upon examining the butt of the bullet, she was greeted by the first three letters in the serial number – UMB. This bullet had been manufactured by Umbrella's weapons division. During the nineties, the pharmaceutical conglomerate had been in the market of manufacturing not only bandages and first aid kits for the US Government, but also ammunition that they had sold at price reductions in order to maintain military contracts and outpace competitors. It was an enterprise that had netted them billions of dollars in revenue worldwide.

Ada's brow furrowed as she looked over the bullet shell. According to Hamza, the sniper who had shot Leon hadn't been associated with Umbrella One. Still the shooter had used Umbrella weaponry during his attack. What in the hell was going on here? Was there some type of hidden connection between the two?

Setting down the casing, she pulled out her phone and re-ran the video she had recorded at the warehouse when the authorities had arrived. Once she had grappled up to the top of the water tower, she had begun recording their arrival with her phone using an ultra high resolution hand-held camera scope – cutting edge technology that wouldn't be on the market for years. In her line of work it always paid to have contacts who could provide her the best equipment possible. It was when she had scanned the area around Leon's body when she had spotted a familiar face. The woman had been wearing a pink blouse with a dark vest over top of it with matching dark slacks. Her brown hair fell just below her shoulders and hid her face from view, but she had been easily recognizable.

"Special Agent Helena Harper…" Ada whispered to herself.

The young woman had been Leon's partner during and after the bio-terrorist attack in Lanshiang, China – that was until Leon's reassignment to Miami. As she watched the video, Helena had run to the body, stopped, and collapsed to her knees sobbing. In a way, Ada felt a twinge of pity for the woman. While she'd hated to admit it, there had been a noticeable attraction that Helena had developed towards Leon. Ultimately it was she herself who had held the keys to Leon's heart, but she couldn't help but think that he might have been better off with the lovely brunette. Now he was dead, and she only had herself to blame for it. This was on her.

Shutting off the phone, Ada exited the vehicle and grabbed the product on the seat next to her. Given all that she went through to obtain it, she wasn't about to let it out of her sight. Once the coast was clear, she quickly sprinted across the street. Leon's apartment was on the third floor facing the darkened alley in the back. While in the shadows, she pulled out her hookshot and fired it toward the fire escape that sat just outside the window to his place. Pulling herself up, Ada flipped up over the railing and landed quietly on the metal overhang.

Sliding her fingers under the frame, she pulled up and the window opened with ease. During her earlier visit that evening, she had purposefully unlocked it so that she could get back into his apartment later that night to surprise him in bed once their mission had been completed. Now she **_was_** coming back – just not in the manner she had intended.

Leon's flat was atypical of most bachelor pads she had seen during the course of her life. Being the workaholic that he was, the man had only the bare essentials; so bare that the tiny apartment appeared almost naked. He had no television, no couch, not even a table from which to eat his meals. The only piece of furniture that stood in the center of his living room was a large wooden desk with his computer and other work-related essentials on it. He had done everything in his home from there which included his work and judging by the number of take-out containers in the trash bin next to the desk – his meals as well. That would be where she'd begin her search.

As she walked through the kitchen toward his desk, a decoration set near the wall caught her eye. It was a framed poster that had been hung directly over a dresser. This was something that she hadn't noticed on her first visit here that evening as she had been preoccupied by recruiting Leon to come with her. The poster held a scene of a grassy field. On the blades of the tall grass were several large butterflies with some of them in flight. Their wings were extended showing off their beautiful colors.

_Butterflies?_ Her red dress from Spain had butterflies on it. Could it be he had purchased this because of… her? Then she spotted something else. On top of the dresser were various mementos and keepsakes. To anyone they would look like common collected items, but Ada recognized each one of them. They were all something she had left him over the course of the past fifteen years.

On the left was the snow globe that she had purchased for him in France on the night she had first come to him. In a black frame next to it was the napkin that she had written on – her parting note to him. Over top of the napkin frame was a key ring that contained a small teddy bear from the jet sky she had left for him on Sadler's island. And there in the center of the dresser top was the compact – **_her_** makeup compact that she had left in the helicopter with the evidence to clear both his and Helena's names with the authorities. Why had he kept all of these things?

When Ada looked back up at the poster on the wall, it soon made perfect sense. She was responsible for having a profound impact on his life, and as a result Leon had made this a reminder of her. The tears she had tried desperately to hold back began to burn her eyes once more.

"Leon…" she whispered.

Taking a deep breath, Ada closed her eyes and tried to compose herself. She couldn't break down now. There would be time enough to grieve for him later. Right now she needed to stay focused on the ultimate purpose on why she had come here – for information. She needed to check his laptop and phone for any leads on these weapons shipments he had been tracking. Judging from the large cache she had found at the warehouse, there was no doubt that his weapons shipments and the product she now had possession of were connected. The question was, how did the shooter fit into all of this?

Pulling out his leather rolling chair, she sat down and opened up the laptop. Once she pushed the power button, the screen came to life and prompted her for Leon's login information. At least she had come prepared for that. Reaching into her side bag, she pulled out a thumb drive and inserted it into the USB port. It was a program crack that had been developed by a hacker who had owed her quite a few favors in the past. She had found it quite useful when stealing electronic information. Given the encryption system on Leon's government-issued computer, the program had estimated approximately twenty minutes for completion.

Ada decided to use her time to check Leon's phone. Fortunately, she remembered him putting it into the top drawer of his desk before they had left for the warehouse district. Opening the drawer, she took his cell, and entered in the four digit code she had watched him input earlier. The menu immediately came up and showed that his inbox held three voicemails.

The first one had been sent almost two hours ago, right after the two of them had left his apartment. She pushed the play button.

_"Leon, it's Helena. I've been calling you all day – why aren't you answering your phone? Listen, HQ is sending me down to Miami to assist you in your investigation. My plane will be landing within the hour. Don't move on the weapons shipments until I get there. I hate to pull rank on you, but please… wait until I arrive and we'll take them down together. If there are indeed biological agents involved, we'll need a HAZMAT team standing by when we make the raid. Please call me back when you get this."_

Pull rank? What was Agent Harper talking about? Hadn't Leon been **_her_** superior officer? She should have kept better tabs on him this past year. After the Kassah Pharmaceuticals incident in DC, she had only visited him one time. Initially he had been guarded at seeing her given what she had done to him in the maintenance tunnels, but to her relief he had been genuinely glad to see her. The last info she had heard from her contacts was that he had been under investigation by the D.S.O. for the DC incident. In an attempt to un-complicate matters, she had kept her distance as she hadn't wanted his career to become affected on her account… but apparently it had anyway. _Damn it!_ She should have kept eyes on him regardless.

The second message had been sent the day before.

_"Hi Leon, it's Ashley Graham. It's been far too long since we last spoke with one another. Listen, I'm flying into Miami to handle some business for my father. I was hoping we could have dinner and catch up if you're available. I also wanted to discuss a possible job opportunity with you that I think you'd be perfect for. Sooooo…. give me call when you get this. Bye, Leon!"_

Ashley Graham – Ada could still remember her as the young, timid woman that Leon had been sent to rescue in Spain. Now she was grown up and had become the COO of her father Alexander Graham's multi-national conglomerate – Graham Corp International. And what was this about a job opportunity for Leon? She might have to look into that if she couldn't find any other leads here.

The last message had been send over a week ago.

_"Agent Kennedy, this is Dr. Hallerman from the Wellness and Competence Office. I am calling to remind you that you are due for your psychological re-evaluation. Please be sure to contact my office to schedule an appointment within the next three weeks so that we may conduct it. I must emphasize that failure to schedule or to pass this second evaluation will be grounds for immediate suspension of your security clearance. I would also highly recommend that you bring your journal with you to this appointment. Thank you for your time."_

Ada felt her body freeze – Wellness and Competence? Psychological re-evaluation? What in the world had happened? Leon had given her no indication that he was having any emotional or psychological stress. Something else was there in the message, too – a journal? If she could find it, perhaps it could shed some light on what was happening with him since DC.

Checking the progress on her crack tool, she still had time. Ada took a moment to scan the bare apartment in an effort to figure out where Leon would keep a record of his private thoughts. It wouldn't be somewhere in the open – that would be too obvious. He would have it hidden somewhere. Then she had an idea and began to walk toward his bedroom.

His sleeping area was just as business-like as his living room. There was a bed, a nightstand, and a dresser but nothing else. No pictures, no decorations – nothing. No doubt he only used this room for sleeping and nothing more. After checking his nightstand for the journal, she noticed an old photograph leaning against his lamp. Picking it up, Ada took a moment to look at it. It was old and worn, but on it contained an image of three people. In the center was a handsome young boy who had a charming smile that she recognized. To the right was a woman with her arms around him and in the back was a man with his hand on the boy's shoulder. Flipping it over, she saw a child's scribble on the back side.

_Me with Mommy and Daddy at the park – Peyton, IA – May 5__th__ 1985_

This was a picture of Leon with his parents when he was a child; taken many years before their fatal car accident at the hands of David Yeager. Ada frowned when she recalled how sad and broken he had been when he had told her about that fateful event.

Opening the pocket of one of her bags, she slipped the picture inside. With Leon having no living relatives, she could afford to keep this for herself. It had been dear to him… and now it was dear to her, too.

Sitting on his bed, she let her head droop once more with a sigh. She wasn't sure if she should continue to look or go and check on the crack program. Then something occurred to her. Standing up, she grabbed the edge of the mattress and lifted it up. There on top of the box springs was a blue book. **_This_** was Leon's journal!

Grabbing the book, Ada sat down on the bed and began to leaf through it. His first entry was in the early part of September.

_"God… where do I even begin? Dr. Hallerman thought it would be beneficial to write down my thoughts, but I have to ask a question first – do I even want to do this? I suppose in the end, this is really the only option I have available to me. There aren't many people in this world who can truly understand or even believe the things that I've seen or experienced._

_ "I guess I should start here – ever since Helena and I survived Lanshiang, I've had difficulty sleeping. For three days after we made it to Japan I couldn't sleep at all. Now, as the days continue on, I find the insomnia getting worse. I should have died in that cursed city countless times. And not just there but in Tall Oaks and Raccoon City, too. Why is it that I'm still here when so many others have died? Is this survivor's guilt – or something more?_

_"I still see him… his well-trimmed beard covered in pink saliva. His face is bloody and cruel. He's out for my blood with the way he screams my name. Derek C. Simmons – National Security Advisor to President Adam Benford. The President and friend that I was forced to put down. _

_ "I still dream about that night where I'm dangling off the sky bridge as he crushes my fingers with his foot. He always screams, "Do you want to live? Then beg! Beg for your life!" In it I fall. I fall and there is no one to save me as my death quickly approaches. Then I awaken to my own scream as I lie in a pool of sweat. _

_ "I first saw him in D.C. when I was in pursuit of Ada the night she stole the T-Veronica virus. The sounds of the train passing by the building began to trigger… memories… images I had tried hard to suppress during the bio terrorist attacks. I saw him in that warehouse – he was in the shape of that dinosaur-like creature when he charged at me. I tried to pass it off as merely stress, but the man continues to haunt me even during my waking hours. I know that he's dead, but what do I do? How do I deal with this?"_

The entry on the next page was dated a week later.

_"I took full responsibility for the failed recovery of the T-Veronica virus. That coupled with the fact that I failed my first psych evaluation, has caused my demotion. The media attention is brutal and someone had to be put on the chopping block. Helena didn't deserve to see her new career come to a close so quickly so I took the blame. I was the agent in charge; Ada's escape is on me. Now my time in D.C. is coming to a close. The director is going to reassign me elsewhere within the week. Right now all I can do is pack my boxes and get ready for my next assignment. _

_ "Hunnigan and Helena have been watching me. They try to hide it, but I know what they're doing. They know something is wrong. They've both tried in simple ways to get me to talk with them. Maybe they're trying to help. Helena has even asked to take me out for a beer and talk. Talk? What is there to talk about?_

_ "I feel trapped, that's the truth of it – like being a mouse in a maze. I can maintain the façade at work, but I can't escape from what's been going on in my mind. In the end though, this is ultimately __**my**_ _burden to bear – no one else's. Everyone is always counting on me. How then can I appear weak when they need me to be their rock?"_

Ada just sat there and stared at his handwriting. Her heart was aching within her chest. Leon had been suffering emotionally from everything he had experienced this past year. It was more than one man should have been forced to bear. Clearly he had been suffering from Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, but why hadn't he said anything? When she had gone to him after the D.C. incident, he had given her no indication that anything was wrong. Why hadn't he asked for help? Then she re-read his words. _"How can I appear weak when they need me to be their rock?"_

She continued to leaf through the journal.

_"It was never my choice to join the government; more like the choice was made for me. They had threatened Sherry – what choice did I have when it came down to it? But how many people have died by my hands as a result of that choice? Those villagers in Spain had no choice in the matter when they became infected with the parasites. Yet I killed them all – men… and women. Dead by my own hand. Krauser, Sadler, Salazar, Simmons… even William Birkin – all of them were responsible for making their own choice… and I had to make mine. I killed them all. __**I KILLED THEM ALL!**_

_"Ada – now that's a woman who is a true enigma for me. When I first met her in Raccoon City, I'll admit that I was smitten with her. She was beautiful, strong, independent, and she didn't need help from anyone. In the end my efforts to win her over were successful, but our time was cut short when she sacrificed herself for me. Over the years, she had flirted with me like only she could until that night in Paris when she came to me. That was the most beautiful night of my life. Being there with her, it gave me a sense of peace that I haven't known in a long time; especially since before the death of my parents. Over the years she would come back. We'd have sex, and then she would leave like always. I just wanted her to stay but was too cowardly to say the words. My mind was always at peace by her side. But she was a butterfly – a woman who needed her freedom from the trappings of a true relationship. I… I couldn't ask her to be caged. I couldn't because I love her. I love her more than my own life. There isn't anything I wouldn't do for her. Ada Wong – my love."_

Ada felt herself hold her breath as she read his words; words that gave life to the man's feelings for her. Despite everything the two of them had been through together, neither of them had dared say what it was that they felt for each other. She sighed at the crushing weight of her sadness and began to cry. Why? Why had she waited so long? Why hadn't she left it all behind so that she could be with him? To have the joy of waking up next to him every morning; to laugh; to cry; to have… a life. Now, it was too late.

Absent-mindedly she continued to turn the pages of Leon's journal until one entry caught her attention. Wiping the tears away, she checked the date. It was dated March 1st 2014.

_"I have to do this. I have to face my fears now, and to do that I need to go back to where it all began – Raccoon City. I'm not sure if I'm desperate or just plain crazy, but I'm hoping I can find answers there because I can't keep living like this. I can't keep looking over my shoulder expecting to see him there waiting for me or reliving Lanshiang when I close my eyes. I have my supplies packed. I'll catch a flight to Des Moines and drive from there. I should only be gone a week. I have paid leave that the D.S.O. keeps pushing me to take. They may not approve of me taking it during a case, but I suppose they can fire me if they don't like it."_

_Leon went back to Raccoon?_ She tried to find out more details about the trip, but his journal held only one more entry. It was dated two days later on the third.

_"I don't know why, but I bought it. I hadn't even planned on going into the store until I saw it there in the showcase. I knew it would be something __**she**__ would have liked; maybe that's why I asked to see it. Then it was simply a matter of putting it on my card. When the young woman was bagging my purchase, she smiled and told me that my girlfriend was extremely lucky. I smiled and replied, "It's not for a girlfriend, and I'll probably never give it to her." She gave me a look of absolute confusion. It was as if she was silently asking why I was even purchasing it then. I don't even know myself. I just know that I wanted to buy it – even if I never offer it to Ada. For now, I'll leave it in the drawer to 'her' dresser until I return."_

She flipped the pages – the rest were blank. His journal ended over two months ago. Why had he stopped writing? But a new question began to intrigue her. What was it that he had purchased for her? **_Her_** dresser? It could only be one place.

Putting the journal into her pack, she went to the living room and stood in front of the dresser that contained all of the trinkets. Slowly opening the top drawer, she moved aside some of his underwear until she found a small blue box. It was rounded with the fabric made of velvet. When she opened the lid, Ada heard herself gasp. Inside was a ring. It was made of gold and in the center was a large oval-shaped diamond. Flanking the stone on either side and holding it in place were two small butterflies. This… This was an engagement ring!

_He… he bought this for… me?_

It was beautiful, and given the size of the diamond – expensive as well. Carefully she removed the ring from its case and held it in her thumb and forefinger. The work that had been put into it was remarkable. She could even see the careful etchings that had been done on the wings of the butterflies. Out of curiosity, she carefully slipped it on her left ring finger – a perfect fit. How had Leon been able to gauge her ring size?

The beep coming from his computer pulled her away from her thoughts and questions. The crack device was finished hacking into Leon's laptop. Whatever information was stored there was now available. Sitting down at the desk, Ada brought up the main screen and checked the title of each folder on his desktop. Here was one – Operation: Water Snake.

Clicking on the folder brought up pictures of weaponry and descriptions – all of it had been equipment she had seen in Umbrella One's warehouse. Then a picture of Dr. Hamza filled the screen. He was wearing a business suit and carrying a small metal suitcase. She recognized it – it was the product. Leon had written a small blurb next to it that only said, "Possible bio-agent?" Their two missions **_had_** been connected and the proof was in these photos – now, if she could only find out more about the weapons.

Ada continued to skim the documents. The earliest one went back to October 10th when this assignment of his started. Browsing the folders something caught her eye. Each folder was labeled with month and year. They had started from October 2013 and went to February 2014. Instead of the next folder being March 2014 as would have been expected, it instead went to April 2014. She initially thought perhaps it had been a labeling mistake on his part. However, when she searched the February folder, the last file was dated on the 28th of February. The reports picked up again on April 4th. Why then had Leon missed an entire month? She recalled him stating in his journal that he was intending to travel to Raccoon City during that time, but that was only to have been for a week… wasn't it?

Something else then grabbed her attention. A document dated May 17th 2014.

_"One of my contacts provided me with some useful intel. Apparently there is a Russian weapons dealer in Miami that is rumored to be moving high-end gear on the black market. Could this be the link I've been looking for? His name is Oleg Petrovsky. He's operating his business out of Pavel's Laundromat on the east side. I don't have enough evidence to get a warrant, but I'll need to monitor that location."_

A week later he continued with his report:

_"I decided to break into the laundromat and see what was there. God, did I hit the jackpot! The back of the place contains a storage area. There were Kalashnikovs, RPGs, Semtex, and a lone .308 sniper rifle. All of the ammo there was Umbrella manufactured. Where in the hell did they get this kind of gear? The military was to have confiscated all Umbrella ammunition after their suspension back in 1998. Even with this find, I don't have enough legit evidence to move on this place. I guess I'll just have to get creative."_

Ada felt her eyes widen – a .308 sniper rifle? That was the same caliber of weapon that had murdered Leon! Whether this sniper had worked for Umbrella One or not was irrelevant. She now had a connection between the two – Oleg Petrovsky.

She had heard the name before. He was one of several gun runners within the Miami, Orlando, and Tampa organization. Leon's dossier had a brief bio on him. A former GRU agent, he came to America five years ago to set up shop for the Russian mob. According to the notes, Petrovsky had become more of an American playboy over the years – a fact Leon had tried to come up with a way to exploit. _Hmmm…_ she thought to herself. _Maybe something like this requires a feminine touch?_

Suddenly, a scream from the hallway startled her. Instinct took over as she immediately dove behind Leon's desk for cover. Almost as if on cue, the door to the apartment exploded sending shrapnel across the room. Then she heard a metallic object hit the floor. Thinking fast, she shut her eyes and plugged her ears. The flash bang went off followed by the sounds of shouting. The men at the door were speaking English but the 'leader' had a rough Russian accent. They were about to breach the room.

Ada had no idea how many there were, but she decided to take advantage of her position. Aiming through the back of the desk, Ada fired off six shots in the direction of the door. A scream pierced the room, and the sound of one of them hitting the floor followed. One of them had been wounded.

"She is there – behind the desk!"

More shots rang out. The computer and other items on Leon's desk began to break and shatter sending glass and plastic down on top of her. There was no place for her to maneuver; they'd be able to flank her in a matter of moments unless she thought of something. Quickly itemizing the gear she had brought, an idea came to her.

**_"WAIT!"_** She yelled loudly. "There's no need for this! Just tell me what it is that you want!"

"Hold," she heard the leader order. "Come out from behind the desk, Wong! Now!"

"Not until you put those weapons away."

He laughed. "A nice try. You are the one out-numbered and out-gunned. Throw down your weapons or else the three of us will end you. We only want the product."

_Three of them; they know my name and they want the product._

"Okay… here," she said as she tossed her Sig around the desk.

"Now stand up," he ordered. "Where is the product?"

"I have it right here. Don't shoot or you'll rupture its contents. I'm sure none of you want to be exposed to a biological agent."

Ada slowly stood with the metal briefcase at her chest. The three men were dressed in light tactical urban gear. Each was wearing a flak jacket and was armed with a pistol. The fourth of the group was lying on the floor clutching his bloody leg. They were in a triangular formation – two on either side ready to flank her and the gray-haired leader was standing in the center.

The man's eyes silently studied her. "Give us the product."

"Okay," she said with panic in her voice. "It's not worth dying for." Slowly walking around the desk, she knelt. "I'll slide it over to you. You can have it, and I'll be on my way."

"We shall see," said the man in charge. "Now slide it across the floor."

Ada slowly slid the case to the man to her left.

"Check and make sure it is there," the leader ordered after his underling picked up the case.

Holstering his pistol, the merc began to unsnap the hinges and lifted the lid. The sound of the release could be heard, and Ada turned her head. The flash grenade exploded with a loud whisper, filling the room with blinding white light causing the mercs to shout in surprise. She then made her move.

Diving for her Sig, she aimed for the man in front of her and put a bullet in his head. Two more shots rang out, and she quickly took down the man on her right. As she lined up a shot for the leader, she saw the man on the floor go for his gun. Another pull of the trigger and a bullet hole stood in place of his left eye. Aiming back at the man in charge, she pulled the trigger one last time. **_CLICK_** – the clip was empty!

The man turned to face her and raised his pistol. Reacting, she pulled out her hookshot and fired at his hand. The grapple hook hit the pistol, knocking it from his grasp. He swore in Russian and charged at her. Putting her hands up, she kicked towards his face, but he went low instead and swept her foot out from under her. As she landed on the floor, Ada saw his boot coming down and quickly rolled out of the way. When it landed, she immediately landed a kick of her own to the back of his knee. He let out a grunt, but righted himself. Rising up, she swung a kick at his face once more, but he managed to block it and followed up with a series of jabs. She was successful in countering most of them, but one managed to make it through her defense and land into her belly. The surprise caught her first before the back of his hand did. In an instant she was again on her back.

Blinking her eyes, Ada saw him approach with knife in hand. "You clever little bitch!" He hissed. "Before I am done with you, you will be begging to tell me where this product is!"

He jumped on top of her with the knife pointing down towards her heart. Ada pushed back against his wrists and stemmed the blade as it brushed against her breast. This mercenary was strong – probably former SPETNAZ. It would be only a matter of time before he wore her down. She needed to make a move, but what? Being pinned under a two hundred pound man left little options for escape. Then she saw a glint of light on her left hand.

Putting her right arm under his wrists to brace them, she quickly reached back with her left and punched the man in the eye. The ring was against his socket so with a quick jerk, she felt it cut across his right eyeball spraying blood onto her face. A loud scream pierced the room as he staggered and clutched what was left of his eye. With his break in offense, she pulled back her right leg and landed a blow to his chest knocking him off of her. The brief moment of respite allowed her a chance to flip up to her feet.

Despite his wound, the man once again came at her with the knife. With a back-handed swing, he tried to cut across her chest, but she ducked in time allowing the blade to pass over her head. Then he swung forward. Ada bent back as the knife went past her face, and she quickly countered by grabbing his wrist and twisting his arm. With a yelp of pain, the weapon loosened. Immediately grabbing the knife, she slammed the off-balanced merc against the desk and drove the blade into his shoulder. He screamed.

"Now," Ada said as she bent over him and twisted the knife, "let's try this again. Who sent you here?"

He swore at her in Russian and replied, "I will tell you… nothing!"

"That wasn't the answer I was looking for." Twisting the knife again, she asked, "One more time – tell me who you work for, or we'll see how long your shoulder holds out."

He continued to scream against her assault. For a moment, she was impressed with his resolve. For a mercenary, he was a tough-willed individual, but in the end he couldn't hold out forever.

"Alright! **_ALRIGHT!_**" He screamed. "I don't know who they are, but they want that product from you. They said we would find you here. That was our mission!"

"I see," she replied as her eyes narrowed. Pulling out her Sig, she quickly reloaded a fresh clip and pulled the trigger causing the man's brains to splatter across Leon's desk.

There were only two groups who knew that she had this product – Umbrella One – whom she had already destroyed… and the people she worked for. It was suddenly becoming very clear to her now – **_they_** had been the ones to send these men after her. They had wanted this product badly enough that they were willing to betray her in order to obtain it. But as she looked at the dead mercenaries lying on the floor she began to wonder. These men couldn't have been recruited on a spur of the moment and then sent to Leon's apartment. They must have already been here in Miami.

Reaching down, Ada picked up one of the pistols the mercs had been firing at her and ejected the magazine. The ammunition caused her eyes to widen. They were rubber bullets! They hadn't planned on killing her. They had been trying to capture her alive.

_What in the hell is going on?_

She had come here looking for answers, but now she felt as if more questions had been found instead. For now though, there was no one she could trust – especially anyone connected to her employer. Still, Ada realized that if she was determined to find Leon's killer, she would need help. She'd need to find someone who she could rely on; someone who would be motivated enough to help her find this shooter… and perhaps aid her in tracking down her employers as well. What she needed was an ally in the coming fight.

Ada smiled when she realized who would fit that role perfectly.

**_Next: Chapter 2-2: Ally_**


End file.
